


Afterthought

by CottonCoffin



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angry Eren Yeager, Canon Universe, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Quarantine, Rating May Change, Sad Jean Kirstein
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:54:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28026591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CottonCoffin/pseuds/CottonCoffin
Summary: Eren goes batshit crazy during one of his session with Hanji and gets himself thrown into a cottage far, far away from people. Jean is assigned as Eren's guardian for the first week of his stay and it goes as well as you might expect.Eren's general dissatisfaction at the world and Jean's to himself resulted in many tears and bruises but the boys eventually learn to find comfort in each other's company. Jean shows Eren that there is more to life than to just survive, and Eren teaches Jean to see the good in himself.Maybe a week was too short.
Relationships: Jean Kirstein & Eren Yeager, Jean Kirstein/Eren Yeager
Comments: 7
Kudos: 63





	Afterthought

Up on the hilltop sat a cottage.

It was a modest little thing, stout and unassuming. It was barely hidden behind a wall of spruce, its jagged tile roof taller than any of the neighbouring trees, like a shy titan trying to hide amongst the field. The closer Jean approached, the more he could see just how ancient this place was. Standing just outside the entrance, he noticed the vines that wrapped around the building, meandering through the crevices in the uneven brick wall, the windows were slightly fogged with grime, the aftermath of many wars against the elements, and brown leaves cloaked almost every sky-ward facing surface, safe for the doorstop that had recently seen some walking.

Here it is, the titan’s den.

Jean was prepared to face what was beyond that door. Ever since Hanji and Levi dragged him into their office and gave him the single most horrifying mission he’s had to face in all eighteen years of his life… Okay, horrifying isn’t quite the word he was looking for but the next seven days will be nothing short of unbearable.

Jiggling the key into its rusted keyhole was quite an event but once he heard a promising click the door gave way with a firm push. The interior was nowhere near as decrepit as the exterior, much to Jean’s relief, and the warmth of a crackling fire beckoned him inside. He made sure to kick off his shoes before stepping onto the plush doormat, amber eyes scanning the room in mild excitement. The walls were a toasty shade of brown, as were the tables and chairs on his right, accents of red dotted about the place which added a sweetness to the otherwise monotone room, and the light from the fireplace dowsed his vision in a dreamy warmness that made him feel right at home.

Hanging up his jacket and pack by the door, Jean made his way over to the wine-red couch and sat in front of the fire. The heat brought back the sensation in his hands and feet again and he hummed appreciatively to no one in particular, limbs stretching out like a cat before melting into the sinfully soft upholstery. After such a taxing walk from the barracks, Jean had plenty of kinks and strain in his joints and this couch was doing wonders for him.

“So it’s you.”

Jean’s eyes snapped open, wondering when he had ever closed them and turned to the front door as it closed behind the new presence. The guy’s face was barely visible with how high he had his jacket zipped up but he could recognise that mess of brown locks anywhere. He made a show of stomping off the dirt from his boots and dropping an impressive load of lumber just under the coat hangers, before peeling away several layers of winter wear and dumping them all on the other side of the couch Jean resided on. He looked absolutely massive walking in through the door but up close and with significantly fewer layers, he saw the skinny short brunette Jean always knew. And disliked.

“Hello to you too, Eren,” Jean said, sitting up a little so he wasn’t spilling over the couch like a drunk old man.

“I’m surprised you would even agree to come here, let alone stay to look after me.” He could tell the brunette had fought a losing battle against the winter winds as his brown hair was even wilder than his usual bird’s nest, and the tips of his ears, nose, and cheeks were tinted from the cold.

“We were given a few weeks’ break if you can believe it, and I was selected to be here for one. It saves me from going through Captain Levi’s cleaning routines so I’m quite content.” Eren snickered at that, nodding in quiet agreement as he rounded the sofa to squat in front of the flames. “Besides, there’s not much to do in town, as grateful as I am for getting a break.”

“Honestly, I expect Mikasa or Armin when I heard I was getting a temporary caregiver but I guess you’ll have to do.” The blond rolled his eyes.

“Believe me, they insisted, Mikasa especially,” Eren turned to look at him over his shoulder, waiting for him to continue, “but she was needed to help teach some of the new trainees and Armin was still recovering from an accident during ODM training. So by some corrupted logic, they appointed me for the job” Eren furrowed his eyebrows, probably concerned about the news on Armin but he didn’t press further.

“And after the week?” Eren was staring at the fire again, tossing stray splinters into the pit and watching them char.

“Hanji will do a check-up on you, and if you’re still out of your head you’ll get someone else to baby you.”

All of this was Eren’s fault to begin with. He had apparently lost his mind during his last session with Hanji, breaking windows, chairs and doors during his tantrum (mind you, this was all in his human form). It was probably stress, but they had no idea what could have specifically prompted the outburst, but it was clear he posed a threat to others, so they resorted to quarantining him in a little house out in the middle of nowhere. The anticipated result was that this would diminish enough of Eren’s stress that he’ll be fit enough to experiment on again. 

Jean’s main concern, however, was his own damn safety. As much as an insufferable brat Eren could be, Jean could handle watching over a loud-mouthed kid for a few days. But he wasn’t some normal kid, he was a shifter; Eren could have another one of his tantrums and accidentally kill Jean in his fury. Hanji and Levi must have known that when they made the plan in the first place and it angered him to no end. How cheap was his life to them? Did they only care about their little titan pet? Could only the important live in this world? This was probably the underlying reason why they didn’t allow Mikasa and Armin to come instead, they were too valuable, whereas Jean was just another cadet. The only redeeming quality he had was his near-perfect score in ODM training in the eyes of his superiors.

It was a boring life he lived.

“I don’t need to be babied.” Eren’s voice was closer now that he had taken his place next to Jean on the couch. He was picking at the fraying edge of his sleeve and Jean slapped his fingers away which earned him a dark look.

“It’s not like I want to be here either.” The brunette had the grace to look apologetic, which he should, but Jean was too tired to nag and Eren’s face was soft and disarming when it wasn’t twisted in pain or fear or hatred, so he let his apprehension go unheard for now. It’s not like Eren could fix Jean’s uselessness for him.

That’s when Eren’s stomach gave a loud murmur and Jean barked a laugh. “Lunch?”

“Please.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated <3


End file.
